Floor mat



Feb. 3, 1925. 1,524,649

F.IW.GRIMES I V FLOOR MAT Filed NOV. 15, 1923 INVENTOR I ATTORNEY stars FREDERICK W. GRIMES, 0F MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF (ENE-HALF TO ILA monr n'ALsTon, on EW roan, n. Y.

FLOOR MAT.

Application tiledflovember 15, 1928. serial No. 674,838.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it lmown that I, FREDERICK W.

(humans, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of Maplewood, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor Mats, of which the following is'a specification.

Mats or runners for floors have been made comprisin' plates or layers of suitable material, suc as leather, strung on wires, and in some forms of such mats or runners the plates of leather have been arranged inseries side by side to constitute units or links, which units have been attached together by wires with the units, arranged alternately, somewhat in the nature of chains, whereby the'mrats or runners are flexible and foldable. The leather used in the units or links is liable to swell when wet and thereby to bend or distort the wires connected with the units or links, which wires remain bent or distorted even though the leather shrinks when dry, and end por- F tions of such mats have been relatively weak so as to be injured when struck by the shoes of persons walkin on the mats. Furthermore, such leather links are liable to stain floors when the leather becomes wet.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a mat or runner of the class referred to in which units or links are made of rigid material which will be strong and durable. A further object of'my invention is to make the end or edge portions of themat or' runner strong and durable to resist blows from shoes, and to provide that two adjacent end sections will be united together in such a way as to be folded as a unit when the mat glS folded, irrespective of the way in which the'other portions of the mat.

may be folded together.

My invention comprises novel detalls of improvement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, where- Fig. l'is a' pl'an view-illustrating my improved mat;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one, of the rubber units or links;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the marunits.

S1m1lar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The main units or links 1, 2 of the mat are arranged in parallel rows, preferably extending and to end lengthwise of the mat, the units of one row altern-atin with units of adjacent rows, except the en rows of the mat, which units or links are pivotally connected by means or frames 3 comprising.

parallel rods or'pin-s 3' that pass through holes in the ,units or linlm adjacent to their ends. In the example illustrated the rods or pins are connected at adjacent ends by means of cross bar 3, the frame being substantially in, U-form, whereby the ends of alternate links are connected with the rods iii an ordinary way. The free, ends 3 of the frame 3 are shown bent sideways over the outer surfaces of adjacent units-and retained by "sleeves 4 as well known. Apertured plates 6 'are shown located between cross bars 3*,"bent ends 3" and the outermost adjacent units. The links 1 in the example illustrated are solid, whereas the links 2 are shown comprising layers of material placed side by side, such as of leather. Ho'llow rivets or bushings ,5 pass through the units and the ends are riveted over the corresponding sides of the units, which hollow rivets provide metal bearings for the rods or wires 3. and serve to-retain together the layers of the units 2, as well as to strengthen and stifi'en the material of.the units. The outer surfaces of the units may be fiat or may be curved or corrugated, or may have any other suitable shape; The solid units or links 1 are composed of rubber or a suitable rubber composition, so as to be strong,

solid and rigid and of achara/cter not to stain floors when wet. Theunits 2 or any of them may be similar to the uni@ 1. I have illustrated the units 2 as comprising several layers of material, such as leather, which in a mat of relatively large dimensions would not be objectionable when the main quantity of the units or links'l of the mat are made of rubber, it being understood further that the layers of the units or links 2 may be made of rubber if desired.

' It will be noted that there are spaces be tween the ends of the units 1 and the units 2 in the corresponding rows of units, which spaces are provided by reason of the alternating arrangement of the units, and in the example illustrated the two units of alt/ernating rows of units at the ends of the mat are close together or abut at their ends, Which I is accomplished by locating the adjacent of the mat, the units 1 being shown provided with holes having bushings 5 to receive the wires of the first named frames and other holes 5* having bushings 5 to receive the adjacent wires oil the second named frames. The units 1 are shown between unitsflfl strung along the corresponding connecting frames 3 at the ends of the mat. The inner ends of the units 1 are thus spaced from theopposing ends of the next I units 1' of the same row of units and the the rods 3' of the corresponding frame 3,

inner ends of the units Fare between the abutting units of alternate rows of units on op osite sides thereof.

n order to connect together the twooadjacent transverse series of units 1", l at the endsof the mat, I provide connecting members 7 which have spaced pairs of openings 7*, each pair being adapted to receive whereby said adjoining trames are maintained in relative position and will rotate or told. as a unit pivoted upon the next transverse series of units 1. The arrangement described is such that the aforesaid two transverse series oi units 1", 1, at the end portions of the mat, are always mainrear-nae mat is adapted to lie fiat upon the door and the end portions will remain fiat and smooth without danger of bending upwardly, the two enost transverse series of units 1, 1 that. are connected by the members 7 resisting tendency to cause them to be swung upwardly or bent when encountered by the shoesvot pedestrians. By having the inner ends of units of the endmost series It abutting the opposing ends of the next units in the same row in the series 1 blows against the outer edges of the endmost series are transmitted to the said units oil series 1 and the ends of the mat are greatly strengthened and wear at the ends of the mat is reduced. When the mat is to be folded the said connected end-units 1 1 will rotate together upon innermost rods 3" of inner frames 3, the remainder of the units being folded as may be desired so that the endmost units always remain firmly united together.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A mat of the character described comprising a plurality of parallel rows of units, and frames comprising spaced bars connecting said units together,' the adjacent ends of units of some rows at the ends of the mat abutting end to end and units in other rows, between the last named units receiving a plurality of bars of one frame and one bar of the adjoining frame at the corresponding end of the mat.

2. A mat of the character described comprising parallel rows of units frames con,- nectin the units and members separate from the frames lndependent of the units and located between adjacent rows of units connecting together adjoining frames at the ends of the mat in a non-flexible section including two transverse rows of units.

3. A mat of the character described co i-- prising parallel rows of units, frames connecting the units, and members provided. with pairs or spaced openings, each pair of openings receivingthe adjoining frames at the ends of the mat.

FREDERICK W. GRIMES. 

